AQF-23M "Magician"

interceptor/maritime strike fighter

-

FEATURES

electronic flight control with funky trees code (smooth pitch and roll, yaw damper, G limiter on/off, and etc.), a gigantic laser beam (auto aim) that melts things, internal weapon bays, aerial refueling compatible, heads-up-display (HUD) in cockpit view, supercruise capable

545 parts count, probably mobile-friendly

INSTRUCTIONS

CONTROLS

Standard aircraft controls
Trim - trim (fine pitch adjustment)
Brake - airbrake (rudder)
Counter Measures - deploy chaffs and flares

Control Notes:

• Pitch control is defined by a PID function of G loading. pulling pitch = pulling Gs. limited to 12Gs (set the air speed threshold above which G limiter turns on in setGLimiterThreshold in variables).
• Pitch and roll rate decrease above transonic air speed.
• More stable at higher air speeds, smooth flying above 1000 km/h (540 knots) TAS
• Best cruise speed can be obtained at around 8000 m altitude
• Not recommended for close-range dogfighting. If you really have to, turn off the G Limiter just knowing that the aircraft might stall a lot.
• Control surfaces assist with landing and braking when aircraft is at or below landing speed (set this in setLandingSpeed in variables).
• Not suitable for carrier operation.

ACTION GROUPS (AG)

• AG1 on: G limiter off, indicated by a red blinking light above central fuselage
• AG2 on: HUD targeting box on, useful for playing without in-game UI
• AG3 on: detach "Witch's Hat" radar (purely cosmetic)
• AG4 on: detach cruise missiles/inner pylons
• AG5 on: detach fuel tanks/outer pylons
• AG8 on: navigation lights

WEAPON CONTROLS

Laser Instructions

Aiming

• When a target is selected in either air-to-air or air-to-ground targeting mode, a reticle and an angular limit box should show up in cockpit view.
• Master Spark has an elevation range of +5°/-15°, and a traverse range of 15° to either side. This rotation range is shown when a target is selected.
• The angular velocity of the laser target tracking is 16°/s, but decreases to 3°/s when it is being fired.
• In the cockpit camera, the current rotation of the laser is shown in the plus-shaped (+) reticle.
• If the target rotation is not reachable by the laser (outside its rotation range), a cross-shaped (X) reticle will appear. This reticle DOES NOT indicate if the laser is not currently facing the target, nor does it indicate if the laser is on cooldown.
• Smooth inputs are the key to maintaining a good lock on the target. The laser has a large hitbox (just like the actual Master Spark, a giant laser beam used by a certain magician who knows no subtlety) that allows you to hit targets with some margin of error. Despite this, sometimes the laser beam will stay near the target, without hitting it. In this case, try to slightly shake the aircraft to reset target tracking.
• The laser is best used at longer ranges of at least several kilometers. With some practice, it is possible to use it in a dogfight.

Lasing

• On each use, Master Spark takes a second to warm up, during which its energy output will be almost negligible. This behavior occurs regardless of the intended output duration of the pilot.
• If active for too long, the energy output of Master Spark will automatically be interrupted, shown as a gradual decrease in energy output over a second. The maximum active duration is 8 seconds, and the maximum cooldown is 10 seconds.

SPECIFICATIONS

Armament:

• 4x Stardust long-range active radar missiles
• 2x Blazing Star high-speed (about mach 7) anti-surface cruise missiles
• 1x Hakkero type A2 "Master Spark" airborne laser (use guns button)

Equipment:

• Reveries-S AESA radar
• W1T "Witch's Hat" sea-surface search radar
• Orreries SUN1 astronavigation system
• external fuel tanks
• BM100 "Broom" turbofan engines

Performance:

• Max. take off weight: 32,000 kg
• Max. sustained G loading: +/-12 G
• Max. speed at altitude (TAS): mach 3.7 / 4030 km/h
• Cruise speed at altitude (TAS): above mach 3.3 3600 km/h
• Max. engine thurst: 225 kN x 3
• Flight ceiling: 16,000 m
• Take off speed (GS): above 380 km/h
• Landing speed (GS): below 280 km/h (modify it with setLandingSpeed in variables; detach pylon items for easier landing)

LORE

After witnessing the success of AQF series of unmanned fighters produced overseas, Kirisame Enterprises decided to import and modify a fleet of AQF-23Bs to fulfill local need for a land-based high-speed, high-firepower interceptor also capable of combating maritime threats. Thus, the imported AQF-23Bs received modifications to carry domestically produced weapons and avionics. Anti-surface warfare capabilities were subsequently attached to AQF-23Ms in the form of anti-surface missiles and sea-surface search radars.
In typical Kirisame Enterprises fashion of prioritizing firepower above all else, AQF-23B's signature TLSG was replaced by an even more powerful laser unit based on Kourindou Industries' land-based Hakkero Coastal Defense Laser. This miniaturized version of Hakkero laser system is affectionately named "Master Spark," perhaps due to the amount of incandescent particles given off by whatever it scorches. Kirisame Enterprises also improved the aircraft's engines to produce higher output in order to accommodate the added power draw.
It is rumored that Kirisame Enterprises imported these aircrafts to reverse-engineer and acquire technologies not covered by the import and technology transfer agreement with the original manufacturer. Kirisame Enterprises is perhaps hoping to eventually develop its own aircrafts to compete with the many successful strike-fighters made by its local rival -- Hakurei Aviation. It is also worth mentioning Kirisame Enterprises has a long history of being accused of technology theft and corporate espionage, mainly by Scarlet Devil Microsystems -- a local producer of avionics.

CREDITS

• original aircraft from @hpgbproductions
• Laser and reticle rotation controller modified from @PlanariaLab and @asteroidbook345
• Heads-Up-Display (HUD) modified from @PlanariaLab
• Pitch G-limiter modified from @moistcottonbud
• Team Shanghai Alice for all Team Shanghai Alice things